Textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures

ABSTRACT

A waistcoat worn on the chest and back down to the waist area bears at least one soft textile item of clothing, filled with light material, removably fixed, and capable of functioning as a relieving cushion to offset muscular contractures. One soft textile item of clothing is square in shape and is fixed on the shoulders of the waistcoat, extending down the back area, which on being partially folded up, adopts the shape of a hood, and on being totally rolled up against itself, adopts the shape of a cervical relieving cushion. Another soft textile item of clothing is elongated as a belt and is arranged fixed on the back of the waistcoat at the waist area, in such a way that on being folded up against itself, and by arranging its edges overlapped, it adopts the shape of a lumbar-sacrum relieving cushion.

The present invention relates to a TEXTILE WAISTCOAT HAVING THE CAPABILITY TO OFFSET MUSCULAR CONTRACTURES, or which has the distinctive feature of bearing at least one removable accessory very suitable to offset muscular contractures, originating either at the cervical or lumbar-sacrum areas. More precisely, the present invention relates to a waistcoat, or equivalent item of clothing, characterized by having at least one complementary accessory, whose configuration and constituent structuring has been especially conceived to offset contractures. This waistcoat or similar item of clothing is designed to be worn as a textile support that contains an accessory specially designed and conceived to relieve possible disorders at the cervical or lumbar-sacrum areas in persons who should remain seated for a long period, as it happens, for example, when traveling for a long time by bus, car, train or plane.

Said complementary accessory may be a soft textile item of clothing which, for said purpose, shall be filled with fleece, foam rubber or equivalent element and is made to be fixed on the shoulders and back of the person wearing it, as if it were a hood, preferably being detachable or removable, in such a way that, on being rolled up around itself, may be placed on the neck of the person wearing it to be used as a pillow or cushion giving support to the head and offsetting the tendency to contractures which are usually suffered on remaining seated for a long time. Said complementary accessory may also be an element to be placed on the waist area, preferably supported by loops, comprising a soft belt, also filled with fleece, foam rubber or equivalent element, so that on being tied or bound by its ends may act as a soft ring retaining band tending to offset possible lumbar contractures when being seated for a long time. In both cases the textile waistcoat is the supporting means aimed at placing the accessory in the best way so as to carry out its relieving action, even discarding the possibility of being displaced and therefore, loosing its effectiveness. Both the hood and the belt offset the tendency to get contractured on being seated for long periods. As they are incorporated in one item of clothing, such as a waistcoat, it is ensured that both of them may be well positioned even when the person wearing it, gets into motion. The type of waistcoat as mentioned herein, may bear both accessories simultaneously, which will be kept mounted in the described conditions and act independently, without one interfering with the function of the other.

The waistcoat herein described is a novel item of clothing capable of rendering new benefits and applications, completely unknown in all items of clothing known to date. Nevertheless, if the person wearing the waistcoat so decides, the invented accessory, in its two versions, may be worn independently, without being mounted on the waistcoat, as any cushion, especially when, due to weather conditions, wearing the waistcoat may cause the person to be hot.

PRIOR ART

As it is well known, the upper part of the backbone is the cervical zone, just at the neck, and it has seven vertebrae, being these a bone chain numbered from C-1 to C-7. They are linked to each other by means of joints, keeping a distance among them due to the intervertebral disks, having muscles and ligaments which allow for movement. Said vertebrae are the smallest and most mobile vertebrae of the backbone, as this area supports the deepest and quickest changes resulting from the movement of the head. We talk of cervical pain or cervicalgia to refer to the pain at the back of the neck and that may be irradiated towards its sides, producing discomfort on the nape of the neck and restricting the normal movement of the neck. Traumatisms, muscular contractures and improper positions maintained for long periods, that overload the muscles and activate the nerves that produce pain, are the main causes for suffering discomfort at the cervical area. Stress also increases muscle stiffness and makes flexibility difficult, being thus possible to suffer pain. As an example we can mention the cervical pull caused by a traumatism with an abrupt and excessive stretching of the neck, as it happens in some car accidents or in violent falls when practicing sports. It causes local and deep pain at the neck, with muscular contracture and mobility restriction. It may also cause vertigo or a sensation of instability. The lowest part of the backbone is the lumbar-sacrum area; due to its natural curve it is also an area which tends to suffer low back pains or lumbalgias resulting from muscular contractures and improper positions maintained during long periods.

When people travel for long periods, for example but without limitation to, by car, plane, bus or train, having to sleep in conditions that do not offer the comfort of sleeping in a bed, or work seated for long periods. In those cases the cervical and lumbar vertebrae may suffer from pressures, stress and pain, as a result of having to bear the weight of the head in certain position for long periods and the weight of the upper part of the body on the sacrum. Those pressures shall cause contractures of the muscles of the neck, head and waist. For these circumstances, it would be very useful to count on an item of clothing allowing for maintaining said areas of the body supported or relaxed and avoiding in this way the resulting contractures. We can find at the market pillows and cylinders filled with different materials, foam rubber, visco-elastic foam, polyester fibers, seeds or infrared irradiating particles, or air. In general, said elements are cylindrical, semicircular, rectangular with some curve, etc., but they are always presented as mobile and independent elements. The inconvenience said known elements present, is that they should be carried apart in some bag or purse in order to use them during the trip. Furthermore, as they are mobile and independent from each other, when the person changes his/her position or moves, either consciously or while sleeping, when he/she stands up, etc., he/she shall have to arrange them again to make them fit the new position.

ADVANTAGES ARISING FROM THE INVENTION

The textile waistcoat referred to herein offers a solution to the problems and inconveniences abovementioned, providing a set of advantages as to use and functioning, among which the following may be stated:

-   1. The fact that the mentioned accessories, for neck and waist, are     added to an item of clothing visually esthetic (as hood and belt),     allows for wearing a practical garment, avoiding the inconvenience     of having to carry them apart, in a bag or purse. -   2. The invention contemplates the fact that both elements may be     removable or else fixed to the waistcoat body. -   3. The same waistcoat may carry one of the accessories above     described, or else both of them simultaneously. -   4. The condition previously referred to, allowing for both     accessories to be fixed to the body of a waistcoat carrying them,     ensures that it will work properly even when the person moves,     either consciously or unconsciously, or when he/she stands up or     leaves the place; when sitting again it will not be necessary to     rearrange them.

5. When the accessory is placed on the neck of the person wearing it, the mentioned condition allowing for it to be kept fixed to the carrier waistcoat, ensures that its function continues to be effective even during involuntary movements when sleeping, when the head is leant towards its sides. In all circumstances, it will be kept supported, leant on and contained by the cervical accessory.

-   6. Furthermore, the above condition making reference to the fact     that both accessories for neck and waist are filled with a soft,     light, and malleable material (wadding, fleece, foam rubber, etc.)     allows for it being adapted to any body built and size of a person. -   7. Nevertheless, the waistcoat referred to herein, presents the     distinctive feature of having said accessories bound to a garment,     thus allowing for their size to fit the size of each item of     clothing and being thus suitable for the person who is to wear said     waistcoat. -   8. The waistcoat referred to herein also presents the distinctive     feature of having the mentioned accessories for neck and waist     attached to the item of clothing in a removable way; if the person     does not like its esthetic appearance, he/she will be able to easily     remove them, fold them up and carry them in a bag to mount them     again on starting the trip, or at work. -   9. The invention considers the possibility that the means used to     mount and fix the abovementioned accessories be any of those known     in the clothing industry for garments (hook and loop fasteners,     buttons, zippers, etc.).

To put into practice the above mentioned advantages, the waistcoat referred to in this invention may be made of any type of fabric or wool, being completely different from all other textile items of clothing of the same type, as it has attached and carries in removable conditions, at least one soft textile accessory filled with a light material, such as fleece, foam rubber or equivalent element, conceived to give comfort to a person who must be seated for a long time, such as when traveling by any type of vehicle (plane, bus, car, train, etc.). A first constructive option satisfying the above definition is that the textile accessory attached to the waistcoat comprises a hood that, being filled with fleece, wadding, foam rubber or similar material, or a combination of them, is attached to the waistcoat by its neck or shoulders. Said attachment will be either fixed or removable, by means of a zipper, hook and loop fasteners, clips, buttons or any other similar element. Its general configuration may be made in such a way that, when being properly unfolded, it shall have a rectangular shape, so that by folding up two of its sides towards one of the largest sides, a laminar triangle adopting the shape of a hood is obtained, and it keeps attached to the waistcoat. Furthermore, on opening said triangle, said accessory will be capable of folding up against itself, taking the shape of an elongated cushion which may be kept attached to the neck by means of fleece, buttons, clips or a similar element. In this way, a true cushion is shaped, adapting itself to the neck, without detaching from it, without moving and supporting the head, thus avoiding the contractures caused on being seated for a long time without having a comfortable support for the cervical backbone.

A second constructive option satisfying the above definition, comprises the addition of an accessory such as a belt which is attached to the waistcoat through its waist area. In this second option it will be also possible to start from a textile item of clothing mainly rectangular in shape, filled with fleece, wadding, foam rubber or other similar element that may include in its ends a fastening means such as buttons, clips, hook and loop fasteners, ribbons or similar elements allowing for tying it either towards the front of the waistcoat, to be worn as a belt, or towards the back of the person wearing it. Actually, it is stressed the fact that on tying the two parts on the back, the thickness of the belt is doubled and it becomes a waist cushion, being an ideal support for the lumbar backbone when being seated for long periods. The possibility that the belt could have a zipper on one side in order to be worn as safety belt to carry cash is also contemplated.

Finally it is stressed the fact that this invention is not subordinated to the fastening resource used for mounting the accessories. In this sense, the invention contemplates the fact that the soft textile item of clothing may be attached to the waistcoat by means of buttons, hooks and loop fasteners, by sewing means, adhesives for fabrics, zippers, loops, epaulets, cords, clasps, clips, snap fasteners, rivets, studs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In order to specifically state the advantages thus summarily mentioned, to which the persons who are to wear the waistcoat referred to herein, as well as those experts in the art may add many others, and in order to make it easer the understanding of the tailoring, constituent and functional characteristics of the invented textile waistcoat, there follows a preferred example to make it. Said example is illustrated on the enclosed sheets by means of figures which are not made to a fixed scale, expressly stating that as it is given only for illustrative purposes, the protective scope arising under this invention is not limiting or exclusive, but it is intended just to explain and illustrate the basis on which it is conceived.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view that shows the front part of a conventional textile waistcoat which, in this case, is carrying two accessories to offset contractures in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a back view of the same textile waistcoat shown in the previous figure, where the accessories designed to offset the contractures in accordance with the present invention are brought out.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to the one illustrated in the above figure, showing an accessory for the neck, which adopts a shape such as that of a hood and the accessory for the waist mounted on loops.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to those previously illustrated, where both accessories attached to the body of the textile waistcoat are shown as cushions.

It should be clearly stated that in all figures, to equal numbers and letters used for reference purposes, correspond the same or equivalent parts or elements making up the set, pursuant to the example chosen to explain this invented novel textile waistcoat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As it is shown in FIG. 1 above, the textile waistcoat referred to herei is a conventional waistcoat comprising an open front part (1) with zipper, as well as the corresponding openings for the neck (2) and sides (3) and (4) as a sleeveless waistcoat is illustrated. This example illustrates the case in which the invented waistcoat carries a textile item of clothing (5) mounted on the shoulder of the waistcoat and on its back. As previously indicated, said item of clothing (5) is an accessory which is attached to the waistcoat, mounted in removable conditions, conceived to act as a relieving cushion for cervical support.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, in this preferred example, said textile item of clothing will be attached to the waistcoat by means of buttons (6) and (7), including besides, a zipper (8) which is designed in its lower side so as to be capable of folding up against itself, adopting a shape like that of a hood. In the way previously stated, the item of clothing (5) keeps bound to the waistcoat without altering its esthetic aspect or the function for which it was conceived.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, when said item of clothing (5) has to be used as a relieving cushion, it shall just be folded up against itself, from its lower edge to the upper edge, and then the achieved position shall be fixed again by buttoning it or by means of hook and loop fasteners. Said figures also illustrate the presence of a soft belt (9) which, in this preferred example, is fixed to the body of the waistcoat by means of hook and loop fasteners on back lines (10) and (11), in such a way that it is also attached to the waistcoat as a removable item of clothing.

As shown in the figures, in this example, the soft belt has buttons (12) and (13) through which it will be capable of unfolding, embracing the waist, or else folding up against itself (FIG. 4) to shape a relieving lumbar cushion. 

1. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures, adapted to be worn on the chest and back down to the waist area, comprising at least one relieving cushion to offset muscular contractures.
 2. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing shaped as a square and arranged fixed on the shoulder of the waistcoat supported on the back area.
 3. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, further comprising a back, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing elongated as a belt and arranged fixed on the back of the waistcoat at the waist area.
 4. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures, according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing folded up against itself to adopt the shape of a hood.
 5. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing folded up against itself and adopting the shape of a cervical relieving cushion, the soft textile item of clothing being arranged on the shoulders of the waistcoat.
 6. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing folded up against itself to arrange its edge areas in such a way that a lumbar relieving cushion is shaped.
 7. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing that, when partially folded, has the shape of a hood, the soft textile item of clothing being removably attached to the waistcoat.
 8. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing removably fixed to the waistcoat.
 9. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing fixed to the waistcoat by buttons.
 10. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing fixed to the waistcoat by hook and loop fasteners.
 11. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing permanently fixed to the waistcoat.
 12. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing fixed to the waistcoat by sewing seams.
 13. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing fixed to the waistcoat by fabric adhesive.
 14. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing fixed to the waistcoat by zippers.
 15. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing fixed to the waistcoat by loops.
 16. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing fixed to the waistcoat by epaulettes.
 17. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing fixed to the waistcoat by cords.
 18. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing fixed to the waistcoat by clasps.
 19. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing fixed to the waistcoat by clips.
 20. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing fixed to the waistcoat by snap fasteners.
 21. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile item of clothing fixed to the waistcoat by rivets.
 22. A textile waistcoat capable of offsetting muscular contractures according to claim 1, wherein the at least one relieving cushion comprises a soft textile clothing fixed to the waistcoat by studs. 